r/Cardiophobias

I won’t sugar coat it, my biggest fear is cardiac arrest, as I may post about it a lot

Something that interests me is people with no heart problems having cardiac arrest. I’ve seen some people who fortunately survived an event, say the docs didn’t find anything wrong with their heart.

Why do seemingly healthy individuals still have CA? Also why would people with heart defects have them? I have a lot of questions about CA and want to find out more about it. (I’m a 20M for reference).

The only reason I am asking on reddit and not going to the doctor is because I lost my job. The company said I would keep my insurance for 30 days after. But they immediately cut my coverage.

When I take a deep breath, it hurts on the right side of my chest. I find myself rubbing that spot to relieve pain. Sometimes my chest gets so heavy and it hurts around the right side of my breast, too.

Please tell me I'm over thinking things.

Update: Some cardiologists are recommending that I undergo a stress myocardial perfusion scan (nuclear stress test) and a cardiac MRI to finally rule everything out.
The problem is that my main cardiologist believes the nuclear stress test isn’t necessary because all of my exercise stress tests have been completely normal, and there has never been even the slightest sign of ischemia that would suggest a coronary microvascular disorder.
However, some people think it could instead be microvascular angina.
At this point, I honestly don’t know what to think because I really hope I don’t have a heart condition. On the other hand, when I think about it, my chest pain can be triggered by the strangest things. Sometimes even just two puffs of a cigarette can cause chest pain, and that makes me wonder whether it could be due to microvascular constriction. Other times, cold weather seems to trigger the pain.
How is it possible that after seven years, no one has investigated this further?
Has anyone here been diagnosed with microvascular angina? If so, how was it diagnosed?
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to help.

My name is Andrea, and I’m a 33-year-old Italian guy. For the past 7 years, I’ve been fighting with my main symptom: chest pain, along with everything that comes with it. Left arm pain, jaw pain, sweating, sometimes shortness of breath, stabbing pain in the center of my chest, sometimes sharp and sometimes crushing. Sometimes it gets worse when touched, other times it doesn’t. This happens every single day, in completely different situations — whether I’m calm or distracted, whether I’m thinking about it or not. This situation has psychologically destroyed me to the point that, at times, I’ve thought about ending my life.

My medical history is the following: in 7 years I’ve probably gone to the emergency room at least 200–300 times. I’ve had at least 50 cardiology evaluations with ECGs, more than 20 echocardiograms, and over 30 stress tests. I even had a bubble test because of a very minor atrial septal abnormality, and a coronary CT scan with contrast because one time the hospital became concerned despite negative troponins, since there were slightly peaked waves on the ECG.

The result of the coronary CT scan was: Agatston score: 0. Zero atherosclerotic plaques in my coronary arteries.

And yet I still have pain every single day. Sometimes it happens when I smoke, other times not. Sometimes during exercise (I’m slightly overweight), other times not. All of this has put enormous pressure on me. I ended up taking 90 drops a day and trying 5 or 6 different antidepressants, but nothing changes. My quality of life is now zero.

I have a business, a home, money, a partner, and a family who are always there for me — but I feel like I have nothing, because nobody can give me these years back. I used to be a high-level DJ, but this situation destroyed me.

Around me I only see people who don’t even know what it means to run to the emergency room, let alone what it means to go there 3 times in 2 days.

I need the pain to disappear, so that the anxiety can disappear too.
All of this has also led to problems with “arrhythmias” — except they aren’t really arrhythmias. Tachycardia, palpitations, and constantly feeling my heartbeat. I check my pulse or feel my heartbeat in my throat a hundred times a day. I monitor myself constantly, but it doesn’t work anymore.

I also have some stomach issues that sometimes make everything worse, although honestly I associate those more with burning sensations rather than actual pain.

Just for the record, in the next few days I’ll be seeing a pain specialist and a physiatrist. I’m tired of hearing that it’s fibromyalgia, that it’s all in my head, that it’s costochondritis or Tietze syndrome…

I don’t know if there’s anyone who could be worse off than me, but if there is, know that I understand you when you feel like life is no longer worth living.

vent and just very frustrated. Vulnerable post.

over the last few months. I’ve developed severe agoraphobia and then also this feeling of feeling free when my symptoms aren’t bad but then also I’m still anxious when they aren’t bad because of my whole situation.

I feel like with what I’ve been going through. It’s completely ruined my life. I also did get broken up with the other day which honestly I completely understand why I got broken up with and that’s just because this has made me so incapable.

I’m afraid to drive (had 170 hr driving once) and so other times I’ve been fine that makes me more anxious i have “svt” or I’m afraid to take showers. I’m even afraid to sleep constantly obsessing on my symptoms because of how much it’s taken for me and of course I’m afraid to do things because just doing simple and basic things even just sitting on the couch, I’m having symptoms so of course I’m afraid to go out with friends and then when I don’t have symptoms, I’m anxious because it’s just like confusing overall for me. This has taken so much for me. I don’t know how I’m supposed to have a good summer or go out with friends and socially drink and even go to the beach, which is what I also wanted to do this summer, but I feel like that’s not entirely possible because of my symptoms so I’m just very sad. I’m someone that loves going for walks and I love working out but because of my symptoms again it’s been very hard for me to do. I am curious anyone that deals with the symptoms that I have how are you able to drink and just live your life and have fun because I’m sick of this. I’m 26 and a female so I’m someone that already gets dismissed by doctors.

But the last few months, my sleeping heart rate has been 70 to 115 bpm and I take a max dose of a beta blocker and some days I take an extra beta blocker because my symptoms are so bad when I’m laying flat and I stretch my legs. My heart rate goes up 20 to 30 beats when I drink water or when I laugh or even move slightly my heart rate goes up 20 beats. My doctor told me that I don’t have inappropriate sinus tachycardia because my resting heart rate is 90 or 100 on average but it’s just so confusing cause I could be doing laundry or going for a walk and then randomly my heart rate spikes till like 120 or 130 so I am kind of wondering if it is an appropriate sinus tachycardia and my doctor just doesn’t know?

I do have a POTS diagnosis and I am grateful for that, but I just don’t think that the symptoms I’m having are all related to my POTS like for example when I have a POTS flare if it’s really hot out and I haven’t had much water or I go from sitting to stand in my heart rate goes above 30 beats, and then when I sit, it comes back down automatically that I know is my POTS, but sometimes when my heart rate stays high at rest, even after sitting or my standing heart rate is the same as when I’ve been sitting, it just makes me more confused

No doctor has been able to really give me any explanation for my symptoms even if they can’t diagnose me it’s more of like validating what I’m going through and giving me an understanding of what’s going on and also telling me OK you can drink and you can work, but these are the ways to do it and I feel like my doctor hasn’t done that and I just don’t know if anyone else has experienced that cause again it’s taken so fucking much for me and I’m so frustrated because my personality feels like it was ripped away from me and I’m tired of being this nervous shell of myself

On top of it, I’m still dealing from the trauma and PTSD, which is kind of an extreme word from my episodes in March. When my heart rate hit 170 while I was driving for five minutes and my heart was just racing like so fast and I didn’t even feel anxious before like it happened out of nowhere and then when I got my monitor, which was a few few days later I got my medication because I was nervous and then I only had two seconds of SVT on there with three beats of atrial tachycardia and then they told me well. It wasn’t sustained so we can’t say the other episode you had was sustained or not but I’m like I remember that episode in my heart rate was higher for a longer period so I feel like this means I have SVT and they told me no and they didn’t wanna give me an EP study even though I pushed for it. So they won’t diagnose me with SVT.

I also haven’t even really felt anxious today, but it is 4 July and I’m kind of wanting to go out with friends to a bar but then it’s just like again I’m afraid to drink but last year I drank and I didn’t really have any issues and it was after my pot symptom started and after I think I had like weird tachycardia episode so it’s confusing and I was also on a lower dose beta blocker then as well I just feel so so so left out. And it’s like a daily thought I go to bed and I’m anxious because it’s like I wanna wake up and I wanna like not be afraid to do things. I wanna just go and do them myself or go and work but then I’m just like thinking about my symptoms all the time because some days they might be fine and then other days they’re not like I could have three full days of doing the exact same thing where my resting heart rate could be like 73 and then randomly the day after my resting heart rate is like 95 and I’m getting palpitations and like weird symptoms, but I could literally have the same amount of water and then I try not to overdo electrolytes because I don’t have low blood pressure when I stand. And it’s like I was given a great life like I’m thankful for the things I was given, but I’m anxious because I feel like I’m not living that life to fulfillment like I want to and there’s so many things I wanna do but right now I just feel so incapable on top of the fact that I’ve told this to my doctor told them my worries told them how depressed I am because I’m a 20 six-year-old who wants to go live their life and go have a few drinks at the bar or go for a run and they’re not like really telling me I can or can’t do it but then also like not helping me create some sort of action plan and giving me an explanation.

Ep said no ep study so they said go to another office but the office they recommended requires a referral and they literally haven't given me one and it's been like four weeks
I'm just sick of this because I am someone that struggles with OCD so then when my symptoms aren't bad I'm anxious because I'm just like waiting for them to happen and I haven't even really been anxious today at all, and of course, my resting heart rate is on the higher end today and it's just so frustrating because I feel like I can't ever fully relax. I have days where I'm stressed out and my heart rate is actually pretty low so again this whole thing is just so confusing on top of it and knowing my body, ! know that what I'm going through isn't anxiety.
I also got broken up with recently, which sucks, but I completely understand because this entire thing has made me incapable. I'm 26. I wanna work and live my life.
This is the most depressive ever felt. I'm so frustrated and I'm so angry because it's just like when is it gonna end? | wake up in agony every single fucking day...

I’m also just very frustrated because I think I feel like left out in friendships and relationships just because of what I’m going through and I also understand like people who are chronically oh wanna label themselves as that but I just don’t wanna do that personally because I don’t wanna live in like a victim mentality. This is something I’m really struggling with and it’s like I feel like if I do that I’ll never get better and I would probably hyper fixate on that for example like with my OCD I’m like oh imagine how I would be without my symptoms so it would just add to the victim mentality I’ve thought about going on medication, but I don’t know which one’s best for me. I also do go to therapy as well..

So if anyone relates or has advice on how to live your life how to balance your social life how to have good relationships, how to not label yourself as chronically ill because you don’t want to feel like you are and how are you able to go out and have a good time and drink, socially and also explain how last year I was able to do it. I think I’m so afraid that if I do it, I’ll go into like SVT or something. Or some kind of pot flair.

(The tachycardia is probably my biggest struggle, but I also deal with for about two years now my shoulders and chest, especially if I flex my shoulders down it’s like extremely tight and then I’ve dealt with some like chronic Venus and insufficiency so like I have varicose veins apparently but my legs are like purple a lot, especially if I’m like sitting anytime my legs aren’t elevated. They’re always purple and my doctor still haven’t done anything about it and I’ve tried socks and it doesn’t do anything for me)

I’m also feeling frustrated because I don’t really feel confident with my medication regimen
Like I never know if it’s gonna work or not. Overall, I’m just trying to get to the point that I wanna be someone in their 20s that goes out and enjoys their life, but I feel like I can’t do that but then I also at the same time but it also was like my symptoms and I’m dealing with and being scared. I don’t know what to do.. I want to workout I imagine
That/ how I would feel and being able to go out with friends drinking. And how I would be without my symptoms it’s probably the main reason for my depression and just being upset right now.

I also get nervous. To get my HR up and that upsets me because it’s good for your body. And I am also upset because why would I get my HR up if when I’m sitting im having issues. So walking and working out would be too hard?

I’ve had
35 er visits with ekg and troponins
High resolution chest ct
Stress echo
Cac scan (non contrast)
Stress Ekg
Two resting echos
Cardiac mri
Event monitors
Don’t smoke drink, no diabetes etc and still think I’m in danger of heart attack. I get chest, jaw, back and arm pain almost everyday but they happen independent of eachother and mostly at rest. Idk how to get over this.

I feel like i cannot physically do this anymore. Its ruining my freaking life. I am so scared every single day and have been for the last month. I was diagnosed in 2018 with wpw (very low risk) had an ablation because I was scared to death and my EP just decided it would put me at peace of mind. Well it didnt. I still kept the tachycardia after. Developed pvcs. Ive had 9000000 holders, aside from the ep study , ekgs , 3 electrophysiologist. Everything has been fine. But recently went through a very traumatic loss and my pacs pvcs whatever upticked and now im convinced im going to have SDC or VT and drop dead. I cannot even hardly leave my house. I used to be active didnt care about the tachycardia etc now im nearly bed bound and idk what to even do anymore.

Hello all,

I am a 24 year old man. about 5 days ago I had a random episode at work of some pretty moderate probably 6/10 pain level of chest pain. My chest is tender to touch and so is the ribs underneath my axilla (about 2 inches below). I can walk about 15k steps a day and I can still lift without feeling super exhausted.

Symptoms:
\-Pain in left pec, shoulder, lower jaw, back shoulder blade. Weird discomfort in hands (primarily left).

Last night I was sleeping (I normally sleep on my sides) and could not fall asleep and kept getting super anxious when I would feel the pain. Like a sense of fear. I tried to lay on my back and fell asleep very quickly.

I have no family history of heart disease. In the past I have used testosterone at moderate doses, I have vaped a lot, (I stopped in 2022 but I still do when I’m drinking and someone has one). I’ve binge drank a ton but haven’t in months. And I lift a lot.

I also game and work at a desk. I have no sweating dizziness or crazy exhaustion. Just pretty concerned about it. It comes at random times. Today at work it’s been pretty consistent but I actually feel good today.

Does this warrant an ER visit? I went to get an MRI for my cervical spine and it showed nothing.

Thanks for any help.. People close to me and my coworkers know this is a going issue so if anything happens immediately call 911. I honestly just hate wasting the staff’s time because you get disregarded for chest pain as a younger adult or “it’s caffeine”.

The last couple of months Ive been in panic mode everyday. It started with reflux pain, which i didn’t know i had, and from there on i was convinced i had issues with my heart. Ive been to the ER 7 times at least in 2 months, everytime they said the pain is linked to reflux and anxiety.

The pain i was experiencing was intense but its nothing to what i have now.. Then i had pain in my arm, back, chest pressure and pain, couldn’t breathe properly and was shaking.
Now the anxiety has gotten worse, the pain now is burning in the arms ,legs, back basically everywhere (could be from poor sleeping/posture). I haven’t slept in 4 days because the pain is the most intense then. The pain is here basically from the moment i wake up to the moment i pass out.

Im scared to do anything, go on a bus, go to sleep, be home alone, turn on the stove etc. Im now alone and im freaking out… I dont want to call the emergency cervices, because im embarrassed atp. I went to a psychiatrist and they gave me pills, antidepressants and xanax which i don’t want to take cuz ive heard bad things about them.. I also want to break this worrying sycle but idk how. If i dont worry about the heart i worry about lungs, or cancer idk…

I also have constant dizziness, some nausea, and neck pressure? And every time i go on this app someone has described their HA experience the same way i am experiencing this rn. I also lost 2kgs… The doctors are saying my heart is okay, my bp is normal and my heart beat is actually really slow which freaks me out…Should i be considered?

(21f) This really feels like living in hell. I was having helth anxiety since the past two months. At this point I feel so disconnected with my own body. I have done all possible checkup that the cardiologist were willing to do ecg, stress echo everything came back normal still i don't know why I feel stuck.

I feel like any moment I will have a heart attack and I will die.

It got better in between but it got triggered back again and the fear came back and it keeps manifesting itself in physical symptoms. I tried taking therapy but stopped since I got better but now I am planning to continue that for a long time.

Ive had weird chest sensation / pain in the left side of my upper and lower breast and in my arm mainly when I sit slouched for an extended period of time that comes and goes dont know if its heart related as pain doesnt seem to worsen with like physical movement n what not.

Does anyone experience pain in their upper left chest, jaws, shoulder, maybe even back. My cardiologist cleared everything and said its not heart and referred me to a gastroenterologist. I wanna know does anyone else experience these similar pains, and also what is your diagnosis.

I have really bad heart anxiety and anaemia combined and it just puts my mental health in a bad state. I have had an x-ray and ekg due to the pains I was feeling but the doctors told me that everything is “normal” and that it’s just skeletal pain, but I couldn’t get myself to believe everything is fine. I’ve been panicking about everything, my body feels weak and pain catches my ass every single day and I’m just tired of it, I can barely do anything and I just want to Kms already. Everyday suicide crosses my mind, thinking of ways I could kms and it’s a battle because I wanna stay for family but to get rid of the pain I constantly think about ending it. If I get diagnosed with anything else I feel like that would truly be the end I just can’t do it anymore, the supplements that I take for my low iron levels feel like they’re not even working it helped for the first few weeks but after that was hell. It feels like I’m dying every week, also not being able to do things I really want to do and I can’t do anything about it . My only wish is to be healthy again but I don’t even think I was in the first place, it’s a constant brawl between my mental health and physical health and it drains the shit out of me.
I fear if more health problems( like if I get a heart problem) keep piling on, suicide might just win, but if I try to I will just pussy out which destroys me. I just want feel seen and have someone listen to me instead of my family members as they just brush it off and tell me to pray it away, i don’t even know if praying works anymore. Im 16 and everyday just get ruined due to how my stupid body is acting. If you have any advice it would hopefully help me!

Thank you for reading, sorry if it’s long <3

Hi. I've recently moved to the usa and still in the process of getting my health insurance. I am a physician resident and work in a hospital in pennsylvania. From 2 days now I have severe sharp almost constant stabbing pain in my left arm that changes points/positions. It would sometimes be in the palm right in the middle. Sometimes in the arm where the deltoid muscle is. Its pretty severe. It went away when I was sleeping and came back after sometime of waking up. For context I'm a 38/F. No other symptoms other than pain. Before moving to usa I had an extensive heart work up including stress test ct angiogram all came back normal roughly a month ago. Now being a doctor myself Im in a spiral as if I go by books it needs to be seen to rule out any heart issue. But then the nature of pain appears to be more musculoskeletal thsn cardiac. I don't know what to do from this poiny on. Any suggestions would he appreciates.

Thanks.

For the last 2 weeks, at very random times, I experience heart fluttering, followed by some center of the chest tightening. Some times shortness of breath.
I have not gone to the doctor yet, because everyone keeps saying it sounds like anxiety, and my insurance isn’t the best. So just thought I’d see outsiders opinions also, before making the decision to see a professional.

Female (31). I've had a strange cough on and off for over a month. My question is: to those of you who have heart issues and had/have coughing, how does it feel?

Mine starts with a feeling at the center of the chest. When I breathe out it feels kinda tingly just like your throat would feel when you have a cough. And then I cough. I've also had episodes where I felt breathless in bed doing nothing.

Could it be the Heart??

I have a bit of a congested nose (one nostril is blocked and it may be related to a medication I'm on - Vyepti) but no other flu symptoms.

I have chronic migraines, occipital nevralgia, and recently what feels like a bit of gastroparesis.

I was a can a day, sometimes a can and a half zynner. I quit zyn cold turkey 7 days ago and started having GERD symptoms, some chest discomfort but it goes away when I burp or walk around. I don’t feel tired and I’m not out of breath. I have been watching my heart rate like a hawk, paranoid. My dad passed away 30 days ago from congestive heart failure so I’m sure that combined with quitting zyn has my emotions messed up. If it goes on any further than a week from now I’m gonna go see a cardiologist.

I am a 41 year old male. I have been having these episodes randomly for about a decade now. they happen 5-6x a year. it is never when I am in motion, always at rest. I have worn heart monitors over the years. some tachycardia and pvc though all normal. cardiologist did heart echo and that was normal. I have gone to ER few times over the years thinking I was having a heart attack. ER did blood, chest xray, etc. All good each time. I have had MRIs on entire spine. have her herniations in my neck and some early arthritis in my neck. no matter what pillow I use I wake up with neck pain. I have worked on a computer for nearly past couple decades. so that does not help. I have painful knots in my mid back, all over my neck and in my pectoral area.

last night I went to lay down in bed, was fine, rolled over onto my side, then felt crushing pain in back radiating to chest into my neck. my heart started pounding, 160bpm, though sinus tachy registered on my home ecg. panicked and called 911, which I have done several times over last few years. Episodes last 5-10min always. I laid down on an ice pack and slowly the pain subsided. paramedics arrived and did 12 lead ecg, which was normal, as it always is. I feel fine again today, accept for my normal back and neck pain.

I am at a loss as to what could be causing it. always pain first, then high heart rate and no rhyme or reason when it will happen. only at rest. I do not get pain when taking deep breath, no shortness of breath or cold sweats, etc. I feel like I’m dying each time it happens. if I just knew what it was It would be easier to cope.

Does this happen to anyone? any insight would be much appreciated. Does this sound like costo? Thank you.

I really want to start taking sertraline, but I'm worried because I keep having random episodes of tachycardia (130+ bpm). I've had two 12-lead ECGs during these episodes and both were normal apart from the fast heart rate. I also have a Kardia 6L, which has always shown sinus tachycardia (normal rhythm, just a fast rate).

I've read online that SSRIs like sertraline can, affect heart rhythm and go into a chaotic/dangerous rhythm.
I'm worried about starting it while I'm having these episodes. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did your doctor recommend any further tests or reassure you it was safe to start?

I really want to get my anxiety under control and feel normal again.😢